Central Pennsylvania Observers
Things we do
Our monthly meetings are typically on the first Thursday of each month. The meeting will be at South Hills School of Business and Technology, 480 Waupelani Drive, State College. See you there!
Open House – Getting Started at Observing the Night Sky: A Quick Introduction to Amateur Astronomy
Everyone is welcome to CPO’s annual open house to welcome new people to the joys of amateur astronomy. We will start with a brief talk explaining some of the key things to know for getting started at observing the night sky, presented by club member Bill Arden. Following Bill, other club members will chime in, each with one favorite bit of advice for newcomers. (CPO members, be thinking of what you’d like to share, speaking for a minute or two.) There will be plenty of opportunity for newcomers to ask questions.
Don’t forget there will be pizza a little before 7:00!
Note: We are meeting on January 9, rather than the usual first Thursday (because January 2 seemed too close to New Years.)
Monthly Astronomy Meetings
Our meetings are open to the public. They are held (typically) on the first Thursday of each month at the South Hills Business School, 480 Waupelani Dr, State College, PA 16801 from 7-9PM.
2025
January: Astronomy 101
February: TBD
March: TBD
Skywatches
Want to see what’s up in the night sky? Come and join CPO’s free night time public viewing events. We call them Skywatches, and they’re held at city parks around the State College area. You’ll be able to view celestial objects through telescopes provided by our volunteer members! We’ll tour the night sky and point out special features that will be different every month. Note that we can only hold the events when the sky is clear enough to use the telescopes, so if it is cloudy or raining we will have to cancel the session. All ages welcome, but children should be present only with a parent or guardian
Black Forest Star Party
The Black Forest Star Party (BFSP) is an annual dark-sky amateur astronomy observing event hosted by the Central Pennsylvania Observers (CPO).